Harry Hill heads top comedy line-up for Leeds Festival

Tony Harber

The first comedy names set to appear on the Alternative Stage at this year’s Leeds Festival have been announced today, with top TV comic Harry Hill heading a line-up of established and rising stars of the stand-up circuit heading for Bramham Park this summer.

Comedy has become an essential part of the Leeds Festivals and the first wave of funny acts looks set to keep up that tradition.

Joining Harry Hill, who will be bringing his wacky, surreal stand-up to the Alternative Stage this year, are Joel Dommett, Seann Walsh, social media star Mo Gilligan as well as ‘King of the Council Estate’ Lee Nelson.

Exciting rising stars of comedy also set to appear include The Sun’s Best New Comedian winner Tom Lucy, fresh and fierce stand-up star Lauren Pattison and ‘Man’s Not Hot’ rapper/comedy star Big Shaq.

More names have also been added to the music stages for the August Bank holiday spectacular to play alongside the already announced main stage headliners Kings of Leon, Kendrick Lamar, Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco.

Mike Shinoda - founding member of legendary rock band Linkin Park - will play exclusive festival shows at Reading and Leeds Festivals and fans can expect a mixture of material new and old, including the Post Traumatic EP and new music to be released later this year.

Haslemere-born prodigy Rex Orange County makes alternative pop that weaves together the epic fantasy of teenage love with the mundane reality of teenage life and he joins the line-up along with Maryland’s most exciting export, the artful and hypnotic Maggie Rogers, Sydney-based rock band DMA’S and Sam Fender, who mixes gritty vocals with world class production – imbuing his nascent indie anthems with an acerbic bite.

Exciting alt-rock concept Dinosaur Pile-Up, who hail from Leeds itself, join the festival bill for a triumphant hometown set, with the likes of hardcore punk outfit Blood Youth, King Nun, Bloxx and more all affirming our love for British rock acts right now.

A world-class music festival, however, needs a global line-up and ticking that box are Canadian rock heroes Death From Above, Scandi garage rock outfit Royal Republic, Bologna’s Husky Loops, Australian alt-rockers Chase Atlantic, Nashville indie-poppers Coin, Utah’s noughties rock legends The Used and St Albans pop-punk band Trash Boat.

Elsewhere, Lady Leshurr – London rapper, singer and producer extraordinaire – makes her return to Bramham Park this year. Croydon’s latest R&B export, Hardy Caprio joins to showcase his talents and prove himself worthy of the critical acclaim he has garnered lately. Yxng Bane – shortlisted on almost every ‘one to watch’ list for 2018 – also joins to take the crowd through streaming smashes such as ‘Rihanna’. Protoje, Suspect, Sneakbo, Ocean Wisdom, Skengdo x AM and more also feature.